Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-08-19
A HUNDRED KILLED.

The most horrible railroad acciuent
that has ever occurred in this country
happened oil The Toledo, Peoria aud
Western Railroad near Chatsworth ILL.,,
ut midnight on Wednesday OF last week,
when without moments warning
passenger excursion Grain plunged
through burning bridge, and over
hundred persons were killed aud three
times as many wounded. The wreck
occurred three miles east of Chatsworth.
The train was composed of six sleeping
cars, six day coaches and chair-cars, and
three baggage cars, and was filled with
excursionists hound for Niagara Falls.
Every car of the long train was packed
with passengers. Two locomotives were
required to draw it. When the accident
occurred the train was running OIL a
down grade at the terrific speed of about
a mile minute. When the first en-
gineer turned curve lie saw the little
trestle bridge over the narrow run,
three miles from Chatsworth, ablaZe.
1t was too late 10 save the train at the
fearful velocity it was going. The next
instant his engine had passed over it,
but the second heavy locomotive went
crashing down into the mass of blazing
timbers, followed by the cars and their
human freight. Most of the occupants
of the sleepers fortunately escaped, but
all the passengers in the day coaches
were either killed or hurt. 1t was just
midnight when the accident occurred.
The ravine which the bridge spanned
was but ten feet deep, but the cars tele
scoped and piled up OH each other in
such heterogeneous mass as to make
the awful work of destructiOn complete.
The second engineer was instantly
killed. Help was soon summoned from
Peoria and other points. The residents
Of Chatsworth turned their homes into
hospitals, and all the day the work of
removing the dead, dying and injured
was going on. Scores OF those injured
will probably die. The worst feature
of the terrible affair was the the plum
dering of the dead and dying. Indeed,
the horrible suspicion is felt that
the bridge was fired by a band of thieves
with the intention of wrecking the
train that they might plumber the vic
tins. Watches and jewels were torn
from the dead. The ears Of several
young lady victims were terribly lacer-
ated where their diamond earrings had
been torn from them. Many pocket
books and purses were found scattered
over the neighboring fields. They had
been taken from the dead and then riiled
by the thieves us they fled from the
sible that even fiends could have plotted
so horrible crime, and yet the proofs
are conclusive that the victims were
robbed, even if their plunderers did not
murder hem.
The scene that was presented by the
wreck was one never to be forgotten.
Down in the ditch lay locomotive. On
top were piled the three baggage cars
one on top of another, like achilds card
house after he had swept it with his
hand. Then came the six day coaches.
They were teles3oped as cars never
were before, and three of them were
pressed into just space enough for one.
The second car had mounted off the
trucks, crashed through the car ahead
of it, crushing the wood WORK aside
like finder, and lay there resting on the
tops of the seats, while every passenger
in the front car was lying dead and dy-
ing underneath. From that car but
four people came out alive. On top Of
the second car lay the third, and its
bottom was smeared with the blood of
its victims. The other three cars were
not so badly crushed, but they were
broken and twisted in every conceivable
way, aud every crushed timber and
beam represented crushed human
frame and a broken bone. Instantly
the air was filed with the cries of the
wounded and the shrieks of those about
to die. The groans of men and the
shricks of women united made an APP
palling sound, and above all could be
heard the agonizing cries of little chill
dren, as in some Instance they lay pin
ned alongside their dead parents.
And there was anOth er terrible dam
ger yet to he.met. The bridge was still
burning and the wrecked cars were ly-
ing on the fercely- embers.
Everywhere in the wreck were wound
ed and unhurt men, women and chill
dren whose lives could be saved if they
could be gotten out, but whose death,
and death in most horrible form, was
certain if the twisted wood of the broken
4 a. .